A bus with no name (yet) BUILD THREAD:

[shaymcquaid]

So, I guess this will be my build thread

So.
I'm Shay. I'm 51.
I'm having an existential crisis.
I bought a bus.

She is a good bus.
Rust free and everything I wanted in a bus except a basement.

I bought her from NorthWest Bus sales in Seattle.
Flew out. Drove her home across the Rockies. Great 2400 miles back to DFW.
(I tried the auctions for a while but I always got outbid.)


I'm married and have somehow convinced my wife to live on a bus full time.
I'm unsatisfied with the treadmill of work/pay bills/work/pay bills/retire,die.

We are heading out west. Probably start with the New Mexico state park pass to get our full time feet wet. But I am building the bus to be a competent boondocker. Boondocking is the goal.

I have stripped the bus and am now raising the roof.
I didn't need to but, I am considering traveling about and helping others with their conversions. I needed to get one under my belt. We will see.

So anyway.

Roof is raised 14.5"
Had some hat sections bent up to splice into the ribs.
Welded them in.
Skinning the bus with 18 ga sheet steel.
Will finish the skinning within a week I presume.
Bus is at a friends house about an hour away right now and it gets dark so early this time of year. It's been over there about a week and a half.
I'll bring it back home then.

I'm planning 200 gallons fresh and 800+ watt solar.
And hope to make it very nice.

Been another long day so I'll leave you with some pix and I'll update when anything gets done.
Feel free to ask anything.

-Shay

[Drew Bru]

Looks like you're off to a great start! I can relate to your long-term goals, my wife and I are in the same boat. We're chomping at the bit to start our full-time nomadic mostly boondocking life. Slow and steady, as long as you keep at it you'll see how incremental progress transforms your empty steel shell of a bus into a warm and cozy home that you can't wait to start living in! We're headed out west too (LOVE the Rockies) so I gotta imagine our paths will cross somewhere along the way.

[adic27]

Would you happen to have captured footage of you roof raise process? Wish there were more pics to sho where you cut. Congrats!